Chocolate Fondants
Servings: 4 servings
Tools you'll need:
- 4 ramekins or pudding moulds 8oz (10cm x 5.5cm) - see equipment recommendations
Molten chocolate fondants or chocolate lava cakes are heavenly mini chocolate pots with a mouth-watering molten chocolate centre that oozes out when cut into.
INGREDIENTS LIST
- 100 g butter (plus extra for greasing)
- 160 g dark or milk chocolate (chopped)
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 medium egg yolks
- 100 g light brown sugar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp of vanilla paste
- 60 g plain flour (all-purpose) (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
Preparation
- Add the chopped chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water, but not touching. Do not stir the mixture until it has melted. Remove from the heat, stir until smooth and then set aside to cool slightly. Alternatively, microwave for 30-second intervals.
- Brush the inside of 4 pudding moulds or ramekins with melted butter, place the moulds in the freezer for a couple of minutes then repeat brushing them with butter one more time to give them a good protection against sticking.Next, add half a spoonful of flour and cocoa powder to one of the moulds. Tip and turn the mould to coat the inside, holding it over the second mould to catch any excess. Repeat with the remaining three moulds.
- In a Pyrex jug or medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, vanilla and sugar, for a couple of minutes, to incorporate lots of air and dissolve the sugar. The mixture should almost double in volume. I find it best to use an electric hand whisk.
- Sift the flour into the eggs and whisk to combine.
- Pour the melted chocolate in two stages into the egg mixture, whisking well to ensure no chocolate gets left on the bottom.
- Moulding: Fill your chosen moulds until ¾ full. Avoid over filling as the batter will rise as it bakes. Continue with the remaining moulds. Place the moulds into the fridge for 15 minutes while you preheat your oven to 200°C fan / 425°F / Gas 7.Alternatively: The fondants can now be frozen or chilled overnight until needed.
- Baking: Transfer the ramekins onto a baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. The thickness and material your moulds are made of will have an impact on how the fondants bake. Reduce the baking time by about a minute for metal moulds.Once baked, remove the fondants from the oven and set them aside for 1 minute.
- Prepare your serving plates with any fruits or garnish. Loosen the fondants by gently easing the tops away from the sides. Finally, invert onto the plates and serve immediately.
Notes & Tips
Storage
This fondant should be served straight away while it's still hot, otherwise the centre cooks through and you lose the gooey centre. If you don't use all the fondants straight away they have a nice brownie texture to them.
Freezing: The fondants can be frozen for up to a month prior to baking once the moulds have been filled. To bake from frozen, simply add an additional 5 mins to the baking time.
